The present invention relates to a center console for motor vehicles which between the front seats includes a base body having a storage tray or compartment open in the upward direction, over which is arranged an armrest that is displaceable out of a position retracted between the front seats in the direction toward the instrument panel.
Such a center console is described in the DE-GM 84 37 440, in which a base body includes a storage tray open in the upward direction over which is arranged an armrest. The armrest is displaceable on the base body out of the position covering the storage tray in the direction toward the instrument panel.
During this displacement movement, however, it opens up the opening of the storage tray, as a result of which the content thereof become accessible to soiling and above all to undesired viewing, respectively, grabbing.
The present invention is therefore concerned with the task to render in a center console of the aforementioned type the opening of a storage compartment coverable also when the armrest is moved forwardly in the direction toward the instrument panel.
The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in that a cover member for the storage compartment is pivotally connected at the base body, and in that the armrest is longitudinally displaceably supported on this cover member.
As a cover member for the storage compartment is pivotally supported at the base body, on which the armrest is then only displaceably supported, the opening of the storage tray or compartment remains covered in every displacement position of the armrest.
A track rail-ball guidance is provided for the displacement movement of the armrest which keeps the necessary force application of the actuating person very small.
Of advantage is also that the armrest is adapted to be arrestable in a detent rail in different positions relative to the cover member so that the pull-out position of the armrest can be matched to the individual requirements.
In order to facilitate the displacement of the armrest out of every position which it has just assumed, a gripping or handle lever is provided, by means of which the detent nose is adapted to be disengaged when the gripping or handle lever is acted upon in one of the two displacement directions of the armrest.
According to another feature of the present invention, the cover member is adapted to be locked up to the base body. For that purpose, a lockable unlatching push-button is supported in the base body which acts on a locking mechanism that locks up the cover member to the base body.
This locking to the base body takes place advantageously along both sides of the cover member disposed transversely to the displacement direction of the armrest in order to prevent that the cover member can be torn out of its covering position with the assistance of the forwardly pulled armrest which, as a result thereof, forms a long lever arm.
The locking mechanism is acted upon by an unlocking push-button which in its non-actuated position is lockable in its movement so that the storage compartment then cannot be opened.